CLOSE TIMES FOR TROUT 147 



a difficult and intricate matter, like all legis- 

 lation which is subject to often ignorant and 

 blatant and unreasonable opposition. Often 

 also such legislation is rendered inoperative 

 and futile soon after the. Acts are agreed to 

 and passed into law, because the means 

 taken to bring culprits to justice are ineffi- 

 cient and unsatisfactory, and hedged about 

 with innumerable difficulties in practice. 



The extraordinary prices now asked and 

 paid for ' trout ' in our large markets, especi- 

 ally in our large manufacturing towns, must 

 offer sore temptation to gangs of poachers, 

 who harry the water often at dead of night, 

 and are seldom, very seldom, brought to jus- 

 tice. We believe we do not exaggerate when 

 we say tons of trout are thus captured and sold 

 to dealers, especially in Aberdeen, Manchester, 

 Liverpool, Leicester, Bradford, and Hull. 



In 1897 trout were priced at the current 

 markets in Aberdeen during April, and even 

 earlier, at Is. 6d. per Ib. ; and during April 1898 

 were advertised at Is. lOd. per Ib. in the Aber- 

 deen Free Press, and at Is. lid. in the Scotsman 

 about the same time. Sea-trout and brown 

 trout are usually sold mixed, and these prices 



